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Project Description

During the renovation of a funeral home, the clients elected to purchase the property next door for the purpose of adding a garage while simultaneously maintaining the open space. As a side-lot to 2041 West Dickens, this addition connected a new 2-car garage to the existing housewhile focusing on the main garden space.

This modest addition functions as a direct connection to the house and landscape, while still performing as the new energy source for the home. Under the garage sits a cistern that collects rain-water from all structures and re-distributes for landscape irrigation and outdoor fountain. Under the main garden are two geo-thermal wells that connect back to the mechanical space.

For this project we attempted to make a strong connection between the architecture and the landscape. The wall separating the neighboring property was designed as a gabion wall that incorporates a built-in planter. As the plants are irrigated, the remaining water filters through the gabion and is drained back into the cistern. This same gabion material is also incorporated into the north wall of the garage itself. The exterior bluestone is used on the floor of the 'connector' to further diminish the line between inside and outside. Lastly, some wood salvaged from the demolition was re-purposed for a new powder-room, and the exterior is clad in a cedar rain-screen.